Foot foundation



y 7,1942- a I M. K. ANDERSON 2,288,665

, FOOT FOUNDATION Filed Feb. 21, 1940 jnvcntor Maurice K. Anderson Gttorneus Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V FOOT FOUNDATION Maurice K. Anderson, Seattle, Wash. Application February 21, mla segial No, 320,649

Claims. (01. 36-71) 7 7 Q My invention is a foot foundation device for insertion within a shoe, the shape of which device can be altered to conform'to, the foot of a wearer having individual or peculiar characteristics, either temporary or permanent, and which will thereafter maintain such shape to support each part of the wearers foot accurately and comfortably. In effect it constitutes a foundation for thefoot, adjustedto the individual wearers foot, and capable of wide adjustment to accommodate changed conditions, or different wearers. My present invention is an improvement over the devices disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 293,374, filed September 5, 1939, for a Sole conformer for shoes, which is intended to be used in the same way and for the same purposes.

As was pointed out in my aforesaid application,

arch supports formed ofstiff pieces of leather or metal have been used in shoes heretofore to support theinstep arch. While much attention has been directed toward correcting the shape of this arch, which varies from person to person, the

rest of the foot has largely been neglected, al-

though considerable differences exist in the shape of heel and'that portion of the foot just forward of the arch. Minor differences in shape also appear in other parts of the foot. More} over, a temporary injury or condition to be protected by relief of pressure from that part may occur on any part of the sole.

It is therefore desired to provide a device which can be adjusted to the individual requirements of the wearer by alteration of the conformation of the surface upon which the foot rests to fit the foot precisely, and to distribute the pressure exerted uponthe foot in any preferred manner. Moreover, the pressure may beredistributed at anytime merely by adjustments of my device.

More particularly the improved features of my present device not disclosedin the aforesaid application are the division of a rigid lower plate into sections which are connected end to end by transverse hinges. A pliant upper plate is supported on'bearing plates closely spaced laterally and distributed under practically the entire area of the upper plate. These bearing plates may rock or tilt on the ends of spacer members to which they are connected, and suchspacer members are adjustable to alter the spacing between the upper plate and the lower plate sections. Such spacer members may conveniently be screws threaded in the lower plate, and adjustable from its lower side. Also the upper plate is connected to the lower plate, preferably hinged is ,to provide a device which can be fitted to the entirejbearingsurface of "a wearers foot, and which'will maintain its fitted conformation when subjected to the pressure of the wearers weight,

yet which in walking will yield with movement of thefoot, generally corresponding to its flexing action.

It is a further and very important object, while providing a structure conformable to the foot of the individual wearer, to afford more adequate 15 and widely distributed support for the plate 'on which the'foot rests, avoiding widely spaced, localized points of support,'such improvedsupp rt also enabling the foot-contacting plate to be more pliant; and' thus to conform with even greater accuracy to vthe sole of the foot. Such support is also substantiallyequally distributed over the upper plate despite its warped conformation complemental to the sole of the foot. In the arrangement of the former application the actual support tended to be localized at each of many points, and it is an -object to avoid such localization so far as possible, without losing theadvantages of wide variability, by small degrees, in the'conformation of the sole; Another object is to provide mechanism which will prevent unintended deformation or strainjin the lower plate as the shoe is stressed during walking, yet the upper and lower plates will be held in registry so that the upper plate will maintain its intendedconformation and spacing with respect to the lower plate.

The manner in which these and other objects may be accomplished will-be described hereafter with referenceto the representative construction illustrated in the drawing.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my foot conformer, with parts broken away.

Figures 2and 3; are longitudinal sections taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the device in different positions of adjustment and flexure.

Figure 4 is a transverse section takenalong the line 4-4 of Figure 1-. t

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the heel portion of my device, parts of which have been broken away.

Figure 61s a detail section through a fragment of an individual plate supporting element.

Figure 4 best illustrates the manner in which my device may be mounted in a shoe. The sole S, from which the' sides of the shoe upper extend in the usual fashion, preferably is centrally recessed to receive the lower plate I of my sole conformer. As is well known, the principal line of flexure of the shoe sole in walking is between its arch and the sole proper, in the region of the ball of the foot, and a secondary flexing line is between the shoe heel and the arch. With the devices disclosed in my aforesaid companion application it was found that when the rigid lower plate was extended far enough forward to afford proper support for the upper plate, the natural flexing of the shoe sole was greatly reduced or entirely prevented. To overcome this undesirable condition I have in my present device incorporated transverse hinges l between the main lower plate section II and an auxiliary forward section I2 and heel section I3, yet still preserving the desired rigidity in the individual sections of plate I. Such a jointed plate embedded in a shoe sole does not interfere appreciably with normal bending of the sole.

These interconnected, rigid base plate sections carry individually adjustable spacer members projecting above their upper surfaces, which are preferably screws threaded in the several sections. It will be understood, of course, that any of the types of spacer members shown in my companion application Serial No. 293,374 may be used in place of the type herein illustrated. The screws 2, threaded in the lower plate apertures I4, carry bearing plates 20 which may rock or tilt on their upper ends, which may be slightly crowned, as shown in Figure 6. It is preferred that each tiltable, plate be separate from all other such plates, and spaced at least slightly therefrom, though not by any great distance. Each bearing plate 20 may be secured to its spacer screw 2 by the provision of a reduced neck 2| thereon, received in an aperture 22 of the bearing plate, countersunk on both sides to provide clearance for the tilting action of the plate. The upper end of the neck 2| may be upset or peened sufficiently to retain the bearing plate thereon, yet without restricting its tilting movement. The bearing plates 20 have been illustrated as circular in shape, but these may be hexagonal, square or rectangular, or in fact of any other desired shape, depending upon the arrangement and spacing of the screws 2 or equivalent members. So also the size of bearing plate 20 will be selected with reference to the spacing of the screws to afford substantially continuous support over the entire area of the upper plate 3.

It will be understood. that the screws 2 are threaded into or out of the rigid plate i, by engaging them from the under side of the plate, until their upper ends collectively define a warped surface complemental to the sole of the wearers foot, or having the desired conformation, which may in some respects depart from the contour of the wearers foot. The pliant plate 3, which rests upon the bearing plates 20, carried by the upper ends of the screws, will then be supported in a conformation corresponding tothe surface defined by the screw ends. At any time, of course, the screws may be adjusted individually to produce a corresponding alteration in the shape of the upper plate, and the bearing plates will tilt as necessary to lie in contiguous engagement with local areas of the upper plate, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and4. The pliant plate 3, preferably of thin sheet metal, for example brass, may be covered with any suitable insole, material 30, such as leather. Indeed, the pliant plate 3 may be nonmetallic, if of sufficiently stiff material. Such a material as woven brake-lining might well serve the intended purpose.

As the centrally located spacer members are projected farther above the rigid base plate sections to produce more of a bow in the plate, as shown in Figure 2, the ends of the upper plate tend to be pulled toward the center. Similarly, in walking, the plate 3 may tend to move endvvise to some extent as the sections of the base plate swing relative to each other. In order that the desired conformation of the upper plate with respect to the foot and shoe may be maintained, I have found it desirable, therefore, to connect the front end of the forward base plate section l2 with the front end of the upper plate 3 by a transverse hinge 3i Such hinge prevents lateral, lengthwise, and transverse swinging movement of the upper plate upon the lower, and yet will enable plate 3 to be moved up or down as required by adjustment of the screws 2. A further connection. between the upper and lower plates, which will allow only lengthwise and up and down movement, is afforded by a headed pin 32, secured to the rearward end of plate 3 and guided in a slot l5 at the rearward end of the heelsection l3 of base plate I, whichis flanged to limit upward movement of the pin 32 by engagement with its head.

After adjustment of the screws 2 to shape the plate 3 to the desired conformation has been made, the base plate I is inserted into the recess formed in the upper surface of the shoe sole S. If for any reason, such as because of changesin the foot condition or shape, it should be necessary later to alter the shape of the conformer, this may be done merely by removing the plate I from its socket, and adjusting upward or downward such of the screws 2 as may be necessary to change the conformation of the upper plate to that desired, While ordinarily no securing means other than the above mentioned recessed engagement of the base plate within the shoe sole will be necessary, additional securing means such as shown inmy companion application, to which reference has been made, can be employed.

The screws 2 and their bearing plates 28 have been shown mounted in each section of the sole conformer. Some persons may not require them inone section. Frequently'nosuch adjustment is required in the heel section. Instead of making and selling individuall different conformers, it is preferred merely to remove the screws from those sectionswhere they are not needed. Indeed, it is desirable that the conformer extend, back beneath the heel, for'thereby it is anchored and held properly in place by the users weight at each step. Because the heel section I3 is preferably dished in its upper surface (and the central section II also to some extent, adjacent the heelsection [3), this permits the upper plate 3 to be depressed, when the screws are removedv fromthe heel section. The device as a whole may therefore conform very closely to the conformation of the wearers sole.

What I claim asmy invention is:

1. A foot foundation comprisingalower plate including a rigid heel section, anda rigid, arch section, transverse hingemeans interconnecting said two, plate sections for relative swinging movement, an upper plate overlying both of said lower plate sections, anda pluralityv of spacer. membe s nterposed between said arch section of the lower plate and said upper plate, and variable in effective length to alter the spacing between said upper and lower plates.

2. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate including a toe section and an arch section, transverse hinge means interconnecting said two plate sections for relative swinging movement, an upper plate overlying both. of said" lower plate sections, and a plurality of spacer members interposed between said arch section of the lower plate and said upper plate, and variable in effective length to alter the spacing between said upper and lower plates.

3. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate including a rigid heel section, a rigid arch section, and a rigid toe section, transverse hinge means interconnecting the front end of said heel section and the rearward end of said arch section, further transverse hinge means interconnecting the front end of said arch section and the rearward end of said toe section, an upper plate overlying all three of said lower plate sections, means interconnecting the front end of said toe section and said upper plate, further means interconnecting the rearward end of said heel section and said upper plate, and adjustable spacer means interposed between said upper and lower plates for varying the spacing therebetween.

4. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate, a plurality of spacer members distributed over said lower plate and supported thereby, a bearing plate secured upon each of said spacer members and freely tiltable with respect thereto through a substantial angle, and a pliant upper plate extending between and resting upon all said tiltable bearing plates for contiguous contact with the upper surface thereof.

5. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate, a pliant upper plate, and a multitude of spacer members distributed about and interposed between the upper plate and underlying portions of the lower plate, and adjustable to vary the spacing between the two plates in selected areas, and bearing plates carried by and freely tiltable with respect to the upper ends ofv the spacer members through a substantial angle, the upper surface of said bearing plates being in contact with the under side of the pliant upper plate, said bearing plates being formed and grouped to afford, throughout the area they occupy, a substantially continuous, warpable support for the upper plate, locally adjustable in spacing relation to the lower plate.

6. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate, a pliant upper plate defining a warped surface, a multitude of bearing plates widely distributed but closely spaced laterally beneath said upper plate and in supporting engagement therewith, such bearing plates being relatively tilted in conformity with the local contacted areas of said warped plate, and spacer means supporting said bearing plates from said lower plate, and adjustable for varying the conformation of said upper plate.

7. The foot foundation of claim 6, wherein the spacer means comprises a multitude of spacer members, one for each of the bearing plates, supported from the lower plate, each adjustable in effective length to vary the spacing between its bearing plate and the lower plate independently of all other spacer members.

3. The foot foundation defined in claim 6, wherein the spacer means include individual screws, one for each bearing plate, threaded in the lower plate for adjustment of each screw independently of the others to move its bearing plate toward or from the lower plate, and a tiltable connection between the upper end of each screw andits bearing plate.

9. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate formed of a plurality of sections from front to rear, transverse hinge means interconnecting adjoining sections for relative swinging movement, a pliant upper plate overlying the several sections of the lower plate, and a plurality of spacer members distibuted about and interposed between the upper plate and underlying sections of the lower plate, and adjustable to vary the spacing between the two plates, in selected areas.

10. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate including at least two rigid sections, one forward of the other, transverse hinge means interconnecting the adjacent ends of said lower plate sections, a pliant upper plate overlying all of said lower plate sections and defining a warped surface, a plurality of bearing plates closely spaced laterally beneath said upper plate and in supporting engagement therewith, and adjustable spacer means supporting said bearing plates from said lower plate sections for varying the conformation of said upper plate.

11. The foot foundation of claim 10, and a transverse hinge interconnecting the front end of said farthest forward lower plate section and said upper plate, and longitudinally slidable means interconnecting the rearward end of the rearmost lower plate section and the upper plate for sliding of the latter means lengthwise to compensate for alterations in spacing between the plates effected by the adjustable spacer means.

12. The foot foundation defined in claim 10, wherein the spacer means comprises a plurality of spacer members one for each of the bearing plates supported from the lower plate and adjustable in effective length to vary the spacing between its bearing plate and the lower plate independently of all other spacer members, at least one such spacer member being supported from each lower plate section.

13. A foot foundation comprising a lower plate including a rigid heel section, a rigid arch section, and a rigid toe section, transverse hinge means interconnecting the adjacent ends of said sections, a pliant upper plate completely overlying all three of said lower plate sections, a multitude of bearing plates widely distributed but closely spaced laterally beneath said upper plate and in supporting engagement therewith, such bearing plates being relatively tilted in conformity with the local contacted areas of said warped plate, a multitude of individual screws, one for each bearing plate, threaded in said lower plate sections for adjustment of each screw independently of the others to move its bearing plate toward or from the lower plate section in which it is threaded, thereby to vary the conformation of selected local areas of said upper plate, a tiltable connection between the upper end of each screw and its bearing plate,hinge means interconnecting the front end of said lower plate toe section and said upper plate for restraining relative longitudinal movement thereof, and longitudinally slidable means interconnecting the rearward end of said lower plate heel section and said upper plate, guiding them for relative sliding movement during relative swinging of said lower plate sections or alteration in spacing of said .upper and lower plates by. threading of screws into or out of saidlowerplate sections.

14. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a lower plate including a rigidlforwardsection and a rigid rearward section, transverse hinge means interconnecting the adjacent ends of said lower plate sections, a pliant plate, and spacer means reacting from said lower plate and supporting said pliant plate in position thereabovedefining a warped surface conforming to the shape of the bottomof a wearers foot, said lower plates hinge means flexing with said pliant plate, the wearers foot, and the shoe, in walking.

15. A foot foundation for a shoe comprising a lower plate includinga rigid forwardsection and a rigid rearward section, transverse hinge means interconnecting the adjacent ends of said lower plate sections, foot supporting means carried by said lower plate defining a warped surface conforming to the shape of the bottom of a wearers foot, and means interposed between-said lower plate and said foot supporting means, and adjustable to vary the warped conformation of such means, said plates hinge means flexing-with said foot supporting means, the wearers foot, and the shoe, in walking.

16. A foot foundation, comprising a plate, and a plurality of spacer members secured thereto, the projecting end of each spacer member having a bearing plate secured upon and freely tiltable with respect to such bearing member end through a substantial angle.

17. A foot foundationfor a shoe, comprising a plurality of rigid spacer members widely distributed but closely spaced laterally defining a warped surface conforming to the shape of the bottom of awearers foot and unyieldingly spaced from the shoe sole to preserve accurately its contour thus established, and a plate carrying said spacer members and adaptedto flex with the shoe in walking.

18. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a multitude of spacer members widely distributed but closely spaced laterally defining a warped surface conforming to the shape of the bottom of a wearers foot, and a plate carrying said spacer members and adapted to flex with the shoe in walking, said spacer members being individually adjustable to vary the shape of the warped surface defined thereby.

19. A foot foundation insertable in a shoe,

comprising a plurality of spacer members defining a warped surface conforming to the shape of the bottom of a wearers foot, and a base plate adapted to overlie the shoe sole, but unsecured thereto for removal from the shoe, carrying said members, and including an arch section, a heel section, anda toe section, said heel and toe sections being adapted to flex with respect to said arch section and with the shoe in walking.

20. A foot foundation, comprising a lower plate, an upper plate, a plurality of spacer members interposed between said upper and lower plates for supporting said upper plate from the lower plate in warped shape conforming to the bottom of a wearers foot, and hinge means connecting the front end of said upper plate to said lower plate for restraining relative longitudinal, and lateral swinging, movement of said upper plate, but guiding said upper plate for upward swinging with respect to said lower plate.

MAURICE K. ANDERSON. 

